Stuffing box



Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT or-'FlcE EDGAR E. GREVE, F BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR OIL WELL SUPPLY f COMPANY, OFv PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F -PENNSYLVANIA STUFFING BOX Appimuqn mea 'January 1s, 1927. serial No. 161,937.

My invention relates to improvements in stuiin -boxes, and particularly to that class of stu ng-boxes designed for use in connection with oil well apparatus, such for example, as well pumps designed to be placed in a Well and .the pump operating parts includling sucker and polish rods.

These stufiing-boxes are usually mounted on the upper end of a well tubing, and the polish rod, which is connected with the sucker rod of the pump, operates in the stuiing-box. It is of the utmost importance to provide for the vproper lubrication of the polish rod, and the stuffing-box construction should, therefore, be devised with this feature in view.

ln the usual operation of pumping oil wells, it frequently becomes necessary to raise the polish rod free ofthe stuffing-box and, in addition to providing for the lubrication of the polish 4rod, the stuffing-box construction should beof such a character 'as to permit the polish rod and the sucker rod to be vwithdrawn from the well and replaced therein through the stalling-box.

Among the objects 'of my invention are, to provide in a stuliing-box new and improved lubricating means; a stuiing-box of simple construction enabling the packing and other parts to be readily placed yin position and removed from the box; and a construction enabling the operating rods to be passed through stuiiin -boX.

In te drawings Fig. .1 is a part elevational view and a part vertical sectional view, the section particularly showing a stuiling-box embodyin my invention, a polish rod, and a section o tubingvbeing shown in elevation; 1g. 2, a top plan view of a stuling-box without vthe polish rod;

'Fig 3, a top plan view of the ltiibricanty reservoir l Fig. 4, a side elevational view of the reservoir;

Fig. 5, a section takenV on line'V-V of Fig. 4; Y

ig. 6, a detail vertical sectional view o f the upper portion or cap-member of thestu'- the box withoutdisassembling the ing-box, the section being' taken on a plane at right angles to the section of F ig.' 1;

F ig. 7, a vertical sectional viewof a slightly modified form of reservoir and its connection With a packing gland; and

Fig. 8, a horizontal section taken on line vnrvnr of Fig. 7.

Referring tothe drawings, my" improved stuffing-box, as illustrated and as preferred, includes a hollow body portion 5 formed with an upper threaded end portion 6 and a lower internally threaded portion .7. The latter portion is adapted to have connected thereto.

a nipple 8. The upper end of the body is preferably chamfered at 6, threaded at'its opposite ends, as shown at 9 and 10, and is designed to connect a coupling or a section of a ltubing 1-1 to theflower end of the bodyof thebox.

Adjustably mounted on the upper end of the body portion 5 is a hollow cap-member 12. Said cap-member is formed with a central Nipple 8 is' bore ora reservoir receiving chamber 13 and and recesses' or pockets 18 Vadapted to receive Acooperating engaging lugs or projections carried on a lubricant reservoir.

The lubricant reservoir is designated by the 'numeral 19. This reservoir is detachnably mounted within the cap-member. and is :provided with diametrically opposed lugs 20 having extensions 21. Said lugs 20, when the reservoir is lowered into position within the cap, are adapted to pass down through the slots 18vand, after reaching the lower ends thereof, to be turned so that the extensions 21 thereon will engage thewalls of the pockets i or recesses 18 of the cap-member, thereby locking the reservoir to the cap.' 22 designates locking lugsl formed on the lower `end of the reservoir, and 23 is an annular groove formed on its outer surface.

Packing means, including a gland member 24 having a groove 25, a compressible packing 2G. and a gland member 27, are disposed within the upper portion of the hollow body. For the purpose of connecting gland member 24 to the lower end of the reservoir, I provide a spring coupling member 28 formed with beads 29 and 30, the latter being designed to be respectively entered in the grooves 23 and 25.

The packing means, and in turn the reservoir, are mounted on a coiled spring31located in the lower portion of the body and disposed between a bearing ring 32 and the lower gland 27. It will be noted that a downward movement of the reservoir during its passage to operative position within the cap will cause the spring 31 to be compressed, and that. when the lugs on the reservoir are released from the recesses or pockets 18 of the cap, the spring acts to raise the reservoir, causing it to move upwardly within the hollow cap-member from which it may be readily removed when it is desired to withdraw the rods through the stuffing-box. In order to aid in lifting the reservoir from the cap-member, it is provided with openings 33 into which a tool, not shown, may be entered.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a slightly modified form of lubricant reservoir. In this construction, the reservoir 19a is formed with a reduced lower end and grooves at 19". 24L designates a gland member of the packing means which is designed to be secured to the reservoir by a dove-tail connection provided by the groove 19" of the reservoir and the portions 24" on the gland.

34 designates a polish rod of the usual construction, and 35 a coupling designed to connect the lower end of the polish rod to a section 36 of a sucker rod.

It will be noted that the construction of the stuffing-box is such as to provide a continuous passageway through the box, the said cap and body members having alined openings to form the said passageway, and that, by reason of this continuous passageway. the packing means and the reservoir may be placed in position in the stuffing-box and removed therefrom without disconnecting or disassembling the cap and body members constituting the box.

It will be noted, further, that the packing may be conveniently withdrawn from the box with the polish rod, due to the fact, that the coupling 35 during the withdrawal operation will engage the packing means and raise it as the coupling is raised.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a stuffing-box, a hollow body member, a removable hollow cap-member mounted thereon, a lubricant reservoir detachably mounted within and removable through the cap-member, said reservoir and cap-member having cooperating locking means, comprising a lug and slot construction, and packing means in the body member.

2. In a stuiing-hox, a hollow body member, a hollow cap-member mounted thereon, a lubricant reservoir detachably mounted within the cap-member and removable therethrough without removal of the cap-member, said reservoir and cap-member having cooperating engaging means, said hollow cap member being adjustably mounted on the body member so as to permit engagement and disengagement of said cooperating engaging means, a spring in the body member, and packing means interposed between the spring and the reservoir.

3. In a stuiing-box, a hollow body member, a removable hollow cap-member mounted thereon, a lubricant reservoir detachably mounted within and removable through the cap-member, said reservoir and cap-member having co-operating locking means including a lug and slot construction, and a spring in the body member disposed between the lower end of the reservoir and the lower end of the body, said spring exerting an upward pressure on the reservoir.

4. In a stufiing-box, a hollow body member, an independent cap-member removably and adj ustably mounted on the body and having a central bore, a `lubricant reservoir mounted in said bore and removable from and insertible therein while the cap-member is positioned on the body member.

5. In a stuffing-box, a hollow body member, an independent cap-member removably and adjustably mounted on the body and having a central bore., a lubricant reservoir mounted in said bore and removable from and inse'rtible therein while the cap-member is positioned on the bodymember., and co-acting locking means on said reservoir and capmember.

6. In a stuffing-box, a hollow body member, an independent cap-member removably and adjust-ably mounted on the body and having a central bore, a lubricant reservoir mounted in said bore and removable from and insertible therein while the cap-member is positioned on the body member, and a spring disposed within the body for urging the reservoir upwardly within the cap member.

7. In a stuiing-box, a hollow body member, a hollow cap-member mounted thereon, a lubricant reservoir detachably mounted within the cap-member. said reservoinand capmember having cooperating locking means,

said hollow cap-member being adjustably mounted onthe body member solas to permit engagement and disengagement of said cooperating locking means, a gland detachably secured to the reservoir, a spring within the body member, a gland carried by the spring,

and a packing interposed between the glands, said reservoir, glands, and packing being Y urged upwardly by the spring and removable through the capfmember without removal of the cap-member.

In-testimnny whereof I aix my signature.

EDGAR E. GREVE. 

